Tourtière Recipe (French-Canadian Meat Pie)

Tourtiere slice held up next to the whole pie

5 from 1 vote

Tourtière Recipe (French-Canadian Meat Pie)

My great-grandmother’s tourtière recipe has been passed down through generations, and for good reason! With a warmly spiced pork filling and a buttery homemade crust, this traditional French-Canadian meat pie is a family favorite that deserves a spot on your holiday table.

Prep Time50

Cook Time1 10

Total Time2

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French Canadian

Servings: medium slices

Author: Grace Vallo

Equipment

9" pie plate
Box grater
Rolling Pin (if making crust)

Ingredients

The Filling

¾ pound boneless pork loin roast
¾ pound yellow potato roughly 1 medium potato
1 small yellow onion sliced
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Salt and pepper to taste

The Pie Crust

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, coarsely grated
7-10 tablespoons ice water
1 teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon milk for brushing

Instructions

For the crust, whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Using the coarse side of a box grater, grate 1 stick of cold butter into the flour. Work it in with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Repeat with the second stick of butter.
Add 7 tablespoons of cold water and stir with a fork. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with your hands until the dough just holds together when pressed. It should not be wet or sticky.
Divide the dough into 2 equal balls, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate while preparing the filling.
For the filling, place the pork roast and sliced onions in a medium pot. Add enough water to cover the pork by 1 inch and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 15–25 minutes, or until the thickest part of the pork reaches 145°F.
Discard the onions and transfer the pork to a cutting board. Pat dry and set aside.
Peel the potato(es) and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Add them to the pork broth and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until fork-tender.
While the potatoes cook, use a fork and sharp chef’s knife to chop the pork into very fine, almost granular pieces, about ⅛ inch. This may take several minutes. Set aside.
Remove the cooked potatoes from the broth with a slotted spoon, reserving the broth. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth.
In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, allspice, and cloves. Sprinkle over the mashed potatoes and stir until evenly combined.
Add the finely minced pork and 3 tablespoons pork broth to the potatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper, then stir and mash until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate, uncovered, while rolling out pie dough.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Flour a clean work surface, rolling pin, and your hands. Roll out one dough ball into a roughly 13-inch circle.
Transfer the dough to an ungreased 9-inch pie plate. Gently press it into the bottom and sides, leaving about 1 inch of overhang around the rim.
Spoon the filling into the crust (it shouldn’t be warmer than room temp). Press it into a firm, even layer.
Roll out the second dough ball into an 11-inch circle. Center and lay the dough over the filling without stretching it, leaving about ½ inch of overhang.
Use kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to trim any excess dough (you shouldn’t have much excess at all), leaving the top and bottom crusts easy to join.
Fold the bottom crust up and over the edge of the top crust, working all the way around the pie. Gently press the folded dough together to seal.
Use your fingers to create a scalloped edge, or press a fork around the rim to seal and decorate it.
Use a fork to poke a few small holes in the center of the top crust to release steam. Brush the top lightly with milk.
Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown. For a deeper golden finish, bake for another 5–10 minutes. Let rest for 20–30 minutes before slicing and serving!

Video

Notes

You can buy a store-bought double crust to save time if preferred!
A pork loin roast is essentially pork chops that are cut into a larger roast. Look for a lean roast with little fat!
This meat pie is lightly spiced like my great grandmother made it! Prefer more spice? Double the spice amount!
Make sure to work the butter into the flour mixture to create a fine crumble, and keep your pie dough cold, or else the butter may pool on the top of the pie when baking. If the pie is done baking and this happens, don’t panic! Use paper towels to dab off excess butter and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until golden.

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